I attended the Long Beach Chamber luncheon yesterday which honored California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner for his contributions to the entrepreneurial spirit of California. Poizner is the founder of “SnapTrack,” a company that creates GPS receivers for cell phones which enable 9-1-1 emergency responders to locate those making emergency calls from cell phones. His technology can now be found in more than 200 million cell phones around the world.
 
As California Insurance Commissioner, Poizner now ensures that consumers are protected; that the insurance marketplace is fostered to be vibrant and stable; that the regulatory process is maintained as open and equitable; and that the law is enforced fairly and impartially.
 
One of the most alarming facts about our great state is that millions of Californians do no have auto insurance.  Los Angeles County alone has 1,356,239 uninsured motorists. Those people are moving targets; they drive our streets and freeways everyday unable to afford the insurance needed to cover themselves or me (if the accident is their fault).
 
State law requires that all drivers be insured. If you cannot afford auto insurance and you are a low income family (defined as a family of four with an annual gross income of $50,000 or less) then you can qualify for Poizner’s California Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program.
 
This program started in 1999 as a pilot program in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Since then, the Legislature expanded the program statewide authorizing the Insurance Commissioner to expand the program, county by county, depending on need. Basically, the program offers low-income, good drivers the opportunity to purchase auto insurance for less than $400 a year. Poizner supports this program and is committed to expanding it to every county throughout California. On April 2, Poizner announced the expansion of the program from 16 to 22 counties.
 
In the end, I pay for uninsured motorists.
 
However, Poizner has a point: With his department’s program any insurance is better than no insurance. I agree.